The PMF confirmed in a statement the ​death of its Anbar commander, Saad Al-Baiji, and ⁠several of his companions.

It accused the United ​States of carrying out the attack, saying a ​US air strike targeted a command headquarters while personnel were on duty.

The strikes targeted the PMF headquarters during a security meeting attended ​by senior commanders, the sources added.

The PMF, known ​in Arabic as Hashd Al-Shaabi, is an umbrella group of paramilitary factions that was formally integrated into Iraq’s state security forces and includes several groups aligned with Iran.

Tehran-backed armed groups have launched attacks on US ​bases in Iraq ​since the ⁠outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran in February, raising fears of a ​wider regional escalation.

The conflict has spilt ​beyond Iran’s ⁠borders, with Tehran launching strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting US military installations, while Israel ⁠has ​carried out attacks in Lebanon following ​cross-border fire by Iran-aligned Hezbollah.